FAQ¶

About Xol¶

What is Xol?¶

A desktop launcher and a cosmetic HUD client for Minecraft: Java Edition 1.8.9 and 1.7.10. The launcher installs the game from Mojang, signs you in through Microsoft in your own browser, and keeps each setup in its own folder. The client draws a HUD you arrange yourself. It changes nothing about how the game plays. See Home.

Can I download it?¶

Not publicly. Xol is in closed development and builds are invite-only. Write to contact@xol.dev with your operating system to ask for a tester slot. A public release will be announced on launcher.xol.dev.

Can I play right now?¶

Not through the launcher. Microsoft sign-in is implemented but waiting for Mojang to approve Xol's application ID, and the launcher does not start the game without a signed-in account. Testers can install, configure and check everything up to that point. See Sign-in and accounts.

Do I need to own Minecraft?¶

Yes. Xol signs you in with the Microsoft account that owns Minecraft: Java Edition and checks the entitlement before it launches anything. It does not include, redistribute or unlock the game. All game files are downloaded from Mojang's own servers to your computer. There is no offline or cracked mode.

Is Xol affiliated with Mojang or Microsoft?¶

No. Xol is an independent project. It is not an official Minecraft product and is not approved by or associated with Mojang or Microsoft.

Which versions and systems are supported?¶

Minecraft 1.8.9 and 1.7.10. Windows 10 and 11 x64, macOS 12 or later on Apple Silicon and Intel. No Linux build. None of this has passed acceptance testing on real hardware yet. See Supported versions.

Will there be newer Minecraft versions?¶

Yes, that is the plan: a modern profile built on Fabric, after the legacy versions are solid. See the roadmap.

What does it cost?¶

Xol's own material does not mention a price, so this page does not either. The terms grant a licence for personal, non-commercial play.

Installing¶

Why does macOS or Windows warn me about the installer?¶

The development builds are not signed with an Apple Developer ID or a Windows code-signing certificate. macOS asks once (how to approve it); Windows shows SmartScreen (More info, then Run anyway). Only run an installer you received from the Xol project.

Do I need to install Java?¶

No. Xol downloads the exact Java runtime Mojang ships for each version. You can use your own instead. See Launch options.

Does it work on Apple Silicon?¶

It is built for it, and not yet tested on it. The launcher is a native arm64 app. Minecraft 1.8.9 and 1.7.10 run Mojang's x64 Java 8 through Rosetta 2, because Mojang publishes no arm64 build of that runtime. See Troubleshooting.

Does Xol touch my existing .minecraft folder?¶

No. Xol keeps everything in its own data folder, and every profile has its own isolated instance inside it. See Instances.

What happens to my worlds when I uninstall?¶

They stay. Uninstalling removes the program and keeps the data folder with every instance. See Reset and uninstall.

Sign-in and privacy¶

Can Xol see my Microsoft password?¶

No. You type it into Microsoft's page in your own browser. Xol only ever receives tokens that Microsoft issues for the two scopes it asks for, XboxLive.signin and offline_access, and they stay on your device in the operating system's secure store. See Sign-in and accounts.

What does Xol send to its own servers?¶

The launcher checks for updates, profile data and notices, sending its version, operating system and CPU architecture along with your Xol access key. Crash reports are off until you turn them on, and are redacted before they leave your computer. Your Microsoft and Minecraft tokens are never sent to Xol. See Privacy and data.

What is the access key?¶

A random string issued to testers. It lets the launcher use the Xol service for updates, profile data and notices. It is stored encrypted by your operating system, never shown again, and is separate from your Microsoft sign-in. Paste it in Settings ▸ Service. Keys are personal; do not share them.

Does the in-game client phone home?¶

No. The client makes no network connections of its own.

Playing¶

Is Xol allowed on public servers?¶

Xol changes nothing about gameplay and reports its own name to servers, but every server sets its own rules and some do not allow any modified client. Read the rules of the server you play on. Toggle sprint in particular is forbidden on a few servers and is off by default. Xol does not claim to be approved by any server. See Multiplayer and fair play.

Is Xol a cheat client? Is it "undetectable"?¶

No, and no. Every module is display-only, except that Toggle sprint holds the vanilla Sprint key binding and Zoom changes your own field of view. Xol does not hide from servers or anti-cheat: it sends the client brand Xol and keeps Forge's normal handshake.

Does it work with OptiFine?¶

On 1.8.9, yes in principle: Xol cannot download or bundle OptiFine, because OptiFine's licence does not allow redistribution, so you download the jar from optifine.net yourself and import it. A launch with a real OptiFine file has not been verified yet. On Xol 1.7.10 it is not offered, because Hodgepodge conflicts with it. See OptiFine.

Does Xol make the game faster?¶

No claim is made. Nothing has been benchmarked on real hardware. Xol 1.8.9 ships no optimization of its own yet; Xol 1.7.10 ships a fixed set of third-party performance mods whose effect has not been measured. The performance presets are ordinary video settings. See Performance presets.

Can I add my own mods?¶

Yes. Put them into the instance's mods folder. Xol lists files it did not install and never deletes or changes them. A mod that conflicts with the profile blocks the launch until you move it out. The Forge-only profiles exist for exactly this. See Profiles.

How do I open the settings in game?¶

Right Shift in a world, or the Xol button on the title screen and pause menu. See The client.

Can I move my HUD settings to another instance or computer?¶

Yes. General ▸ Settings file ▸ Export writes xol/xol-settings.json in the instance folder; copy it into the other instance's xol folder and Import there. The file contains module switches, settings and layouts, and no account, server or path data. See Layouts, export and import.

Updates¶

How does Xol update?¶

From launcher 0.2.2 on, by itself: it downloads in the background, verifies the download against a signed release record, and installs when you close Xol. You can switch that off. See Updates.

Why does macOS not ask again for updates?¶

Because Xol downloads the update itself, the file carries no quarantine mark, and Gatekeeper only assesses quarantined files. Nothing is bypassed. The update is verified against a signed record, and the new app's identifier, version and code signature are checked before the swap. See Updates.

Can I go back to the previous version?¶

The previous verified installer is kept in the updates folder, so you can run it by hand. See Rollback installers.

Getting help¶

Where do I report a problem or a security issue?¶

contact@xol.dev. Attach a support log if the game was involved. Security reports are answered first.